Christmas With Bill Harker
by Matt1969
Summary: It’s Christmas Eve and Buffy has a visitor – set approx. 10 years after BTVS’s Chosen, 8 after ATS’s Not Fade Away. Multipart fiction.
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: Christmas With Bill Harker  
AUTHOR: Matt, December 2004  
SUMMARY: It's Christmas Eve and Buffy has a visitor – set approx. 10 years after BTVS's Chosen, 8 after ATS's Not Fade Away  
RATING: PG-13  
DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Mutant Enemy's, but while the tale is mine I make no money from it.  
NOTE: I've had this idea in my head for a while. Finally, I've decided to put it into words. It's not been beta'd, so any constructive criticism is welcome (although blatant flames are not).

Buffy pulled the door closed behind her and hastened down the path to the sidewalk. A swift glance at her watch told her she was in good time, which at least meant Dawn wouldn't glare at her this year and then say later that she'd thought her older sister wouldn't show up. But once a Slayer always a Slayer, and when that vampire had come out of nowhere last year, she'd had no choice but to show it her pointy stick and then display exactly what she could do with it.

If there was any hope that she'd avoid any of the undead this year, it disappeared as she caught sight of the figure skulking at the bottom of her path. Although it was a figure she'd not seen in a number of years, she still recognised it instantly. It was hard not to. Despite the obvious change in hairstyle, the coat and the cigarette gave her the biggest clues.

"Spike!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The cigarette was thrown to the ground where a booted foot stamped it out. "I'm back," he said dramatically, flinging his arms out wide.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Obviously. I'm just amazed you managed to stay away for so long."

The arms dropped. "Wait a bloody minute. This was supposed to be my big moment, telling you I'd come back from the dead. How can you be so offhand about it?"

"You should have known Andrew wouldn't keep a secret like that. I've known you were back and how since his visit to LA. It was just a matter of time before you hunted me down." She smiled at his crestfallen expression. "I just didn't think it would take you so long. Now, excuse me, I have to be somewhere."

"At this time of night? I make this big return and for what? No hug, no kiss, not even a bloody threat all because you have to be somewhere?" He paused for a moment and the anger disappeared from his face, leaving only a concerned expression. "You're not going patrolling, are you?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I'm not." She glanced quickly at her watch, and set off walking again. Spike was forced to chase after her in order to continue the conversation.

"So, where are you headed then?" Apparently, he believed it _was_ his business.

Buffy sighed and paused briefly to look at him. "If you must know, I'm going to church."

TBC


	2. Chapter two

(apologies for not getting the next part up before now... it's been a lousy week or so)

TITLE: Christmas With Bill Harker

CHAPTER TWO

"Church?" he asked in disbelief. "Since when do you go to church?"

Buffy began walking again; the church was only a block away, but time was moving quickly. Dawn might be happy to see Spike again, but Buffy sliding into the service late was a total no-no. "Because Dawn wants me to," she replied. "I go twice a year; Christmas and Easter and hope that she doesn't ask anything more of me, like go on a regular basis."

"Dawn goes to church?"

"Yes. Does that offend your un-dead sensibilities?"

"No, no." His long strides matched hers, pace for pace. "It's just, well, never expected any of you lot to be interested in that sort of thing."

"You've been gone a long while, Spike," Buffy replied quietly. "A lot's changed."

"Yeah, so I see."

"After you… died… none of us knew what to do."

He stopped her there. "I know all that, Blondie," he told her. "Andrew told us a lot when he paid his little visit to us." Spike's face contorted into a sneer. "Quite impressive how you lot could send someone for a demented slayer, but wouldn't even spare Willow when Fred was dying."

"That was Giles' doing," Buffy retorted. "Dawn and I were in Italy at the time. We didn't know how bad she was." Her voice became softer. "How bad was it?"

"She died."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." He sighed and for a moment he seemed lost in memories. "What's with you and this church thing then?"

They were approaching the church now. The parking lot was slowly filling with cars and Buffy was grateful that people were still heading into the building.

"Dawn did a lot of what you could call soul-searching, I guess."

"I've done a bit of myself," Spike commented with a wry grin.

Buffy smiled in response. "I guess she was looking for a place where she could belong."

"And she found it here?"

"Yeah." They stopped at the main entrance. "You want me to go get her?"

Spike shook his head. "No need," he replied as he walked through the front door and onto consecrated ground.

Buffy stared at his back open-mouthed for a moment, before closing it abruptly and hastening after him.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE: Christmas With Bill Harker

CHAPTER THREE

It wasn't hard to spot Dawn. She was the brunette in one of the rows, about halfway back, who was continuously looking at her watch. No doubt, Buffy thought, her sister was thinking she'd be late again.

Apparently, Spike had spotted Dawn as well, because he strode down the central aisle without a care in the world. Dawn didn't even sense his approach, and Buffy wanted to immediately berate her for thinking she could be relaxed in a church. Vampires could enter churches just as easily as the living, and they knew even better how to blend in with the crowd. With a sigh, Buffy walked quickly after Spike.

"Those two seats beside you going spare, luv?" he asked.

Dawn squealed and jumped up, immediately engulfing the vampire in a hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He chuckled as he released her. "Thought I'd pay a visit to your sister, only to discover she was meeting you. And I couldn't very well see her and not you now could I?"

Dawn looked behind Spike. "Wow, Buffy, doesn't he look different? Oh, this is amazing." She grinned. "And he even got you here on time."

"No nasties this year," Buffy shrugged as she made her way into the pew. "Well, except one, and I can't seem to get rid of him."

"Hey, is that anyway to treat an old friend?" Spike took a seat between the two women.

"Old being the right word," Dawn said with a laugh.

"Hey, I can bite you know," Spike warned.

"And I've got a stake," Buffy said with a hiss. She really didn't want the other members of the congregation staring at the three of them. Trying to appear normal, she began perusing the bulletin she'd been given upon entering the building.

"Dawn, Buffy, merry Christmas."

Buffy looked up to catch the eye of Pastor Davis. "Hello, Pastor," she said quietly, waiting for what she knew was to come.

"Buffy, it's good to see you again," the minister replied. "Though I do wish we'd see you here more often."

She forced a smile on her face. "I keep pretty busy, you know."

Pastor Davis smiled. "I do know. I'm always asking Dawn how you are." His gaze moved to the person sat next to her. "I'm glad to see you've brought a friend with you this year," he said, extending a hand. "I'm Pastor Davis. Are you a friend of Dawn or Buffy's?"

Buffy wanted to curl up and die. Though not a woman who tended to pray often, she began to pray now; pleading that Spike would do nothing to embarrass them. A vampire and a man of the cloth could be an explosive combination if not handled right.

"I'm Bill Harker, an old family friend."

The cultured English accent caused Buffy's head to jerk up in surprise. Spike was actually behaving himself?

"It's good to meet you, Bill. Do you live here or are you just visiting?"

"I've lived in this country now for a number of years." Spike laughed. "I can't seem to get rid of the accent though."

_Liar_, Buffy wanted to say. Still, his former accent was better than any attempt at an American one.

"From London?"

"Yes."

An elderly woman came up to the minister and it was obvious she needed his attention. "Do excuse me, ladies, Bill, it's good to see you all here."

There was a muttered chorus of "thank you," and "it's good to be here," and "to see you too, Pastor." Once the minister had disappeared, Buffy let loose with what she had wanted to say earlier.

Spike's face crinkled in confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "Did you want me to tell him my name was Spike aka William the Bloody and that he should address me as Master? Because I can, you know." He began to rise from his seat, only to be pulled back down by Dawn's hand on his arm.

"Buffy's just being idiotic," Dawn said, with a glare at her sister. "I think it's really nice that you're making the effort."

"Do anything for you, I would."

"Thank you."

Buffy decided that maybe she should look up the first hymn. It would keep her occupied, and maybe stop Spike from trying to antagonise her further.

"Look, Buffy." Spike's head came closer to hers. "I'm just trying to keep things cool for tonight, okay. I've no wish to embarrass you or Dawn, I was just trying to make polite conversation with the man, okay?"

If there was one thing that Buffy had issues with when it came to Spike, it was the knowledge that he could be right about a lot of things. He could have pulled the punk attitude, maybe even shown a little fang, but that wouldn't have been who he truly was. He might have annoyed at her times in the past, but he'd also tried desperately to do the right, even if misguided, thing. Besides, hadn't she missed him over these past years? Maybe she should just let it go for one night.

TBC


End file.
